Stay
by heartbreakbrook
Summary: Alice returns to Underland, but things take a drastic turn. Alice falls in love with The Hatter, and he for her- but in doing so, The Hatter puts his own life at risk. Can Alice save him? Will she choose to go home or to stay in Underland? Read for more.
1. Chapter 1 Night Lights

*Based on the movie, Alice in Wonderland. Has real themes and real pieces from the film, but takes a different path. Best if read with a British accent

"YOU'RE LATE FOR TEA!" screeched the Hare, chucking a tea cup in the direction of the enemy. The guards took a whimsical look at the insanity which sat around the table and turned away, heading back to the Red Queen's castle, Beyard leading the way. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The Hatter took a quick look around and deemed it safe to remove Alice from the tea pot. Picking her up by the scruff of her new dress, he set her down gently on the aged tablecloth.

"Hmph," Dormouse scoffed under her breath. "She's not even the real Alice. I'm not sticking around for this," she grumbled, scurrying away with no abandon. The Hare shot after her, not wanting to leave The Hatter but worrying about Dormouse all the same.

The Hatter sighed. "We must go to the White Queen. I suspect our friends will be waiting there for us," he told Alice. He picked her up and placed her in his hand, reaching up to rest her on the brim of his hat.

"Hatter, I'd quite like to walk by myself, if that's alright."

"Silly Alice, you're much too small to be gallivanting around by yourself," he said, taking off at a slow pace.

"But don't you have anything to make me bigger?" she begged, not giving up hope. There was something she needed to do, and she was much too small to do it.

The Hatter stopped, remembering that he did indeed have some crumbs of Upelkuchen in the depths of his pocket. He reached in and snatched up the crumbles, grabbed Alice from atop his hat, and brought her to the ground. There he set her down and carefully wiped the crumbs into her tiny hands.

She smiled widely and stuffed the cake into her mouth. In seconds she began to grow to her normal height, forgetting that she would outgrow her clothes. Quickly she sat on the ground, bringing her knees to her chest to cover herself. Alarmed, The Hatter ran back to the table and removed the giant tablecloth with one very messy swipe, kneeling to work his magic. Though much like a fancy toga made for a wedding, he was pleased with his work and closed his eyes. He turned to Alice and walked in a straight line towards where he last saw her. "Thank you," she said when he was only a step away from her. He held the dress out to her. Taking it, she waited for him to turn around. She then slipped on the dress, adjusting the one strap on her right shoulder.

"I only wanted to give you something, Hatter," she admitted. _It is only a dream_, she thought. She walked around The Hatter and faced him, his eyes still closed.

Reaching up on her tip toes, she gave The Hatter a quick peck on the cheek. He opened his eyes and began to blush visibly, but smiled, satisfied with her action.

"That's for saving me," she told him. Smiling slightly, she took his hand and began walking again in the direction they'd been headed. To the White Queen's Castle.

Walking at a comfortable pace, The Hatter held on to Alice's hand for quite a while before either of them said anything. It was he who spoke first.

"You're not the same as you once were," he commented.

She turned to him and smiled. "How so?"

The Hatter paused for a moment, trying to think of the right words to say. "Well for one, you're older. And much prettier. You were such a silly little girl back then. And you're a little more shy, but stronger—braver than you used to be."

Alice contemplated this for a moment, letting each word sink in.

"You know, you're not the same as you once were, either," she retorted. He looked at her, shocked.

"What do you mean? Underlanders don't change," he said, confused.

Alice laughed. "I only mean that you are different now… to me. I haven't seen you in so long…" she traveled off, suddenly aware that she didn't think that this was a dream anymore. But that was alright. Because you wake up from dreams… But never from reality…

The Hatter gripped her hand tighter, suddenly lacing her fingers through his. Her heart skipped a beat. It had to have been clearly audible, she thought. But the Hatter only kept walking to their destination, a grin on his face.

Some time went on before the sun began to set. Slowly the forest began to dim and Alice gasped at the beauty she saw before her. First, she thought it had just been her imagination. But after quite a few tricks of the mind, Alice began to realize that what she was seeing was _real—_every bit as real as The Hatter_._ Every time she stepped, touched, _breathed_, the forest lit up—a beautiful, bluish green light that glowed from wherever her movement startled the brush. She gasped at the lights, certain that she'd never been in Underland at night before. Of all things, she would have remembered _this. _

After a good half hour of walking in silence, in awe, Alice was startled by The Hatter, who cleared his throat. Alice jumped at the sudden sound.

"Oh! I'm quite sorry," apologized The Hatter.

Alice stammered, "I-It's alright, Hatter. I just hadn't realized… well, I sort of forgot where we were. It's just so beautiful…" she trailed off. The Hatter smiled.

"It is quite beautiful, isn't it?" he said, pausing to speak. He turned towards Alice. "Would you like to see something?"

"Yes, please," she breathed at the excitement.

The Hatter smiled and leaned forward. "Close your eyes. Count to five, and then open them," he instructed. _One. Two. Three. _The Hatter leaned forward even more, pausing only to take a deep breath. _Four._ And then their lips met, his hand found her cheek. She froze momentarily, alarmed, and then remembered—_Five._ She opened her eyes, startled at his action but curious all the same. That was when she saw everything—the lights again, only this time everywhere, pulsing, almost dancing to the beat of their hearts. This excited her, putting her heart into overdrive, and with it, the lights pulsed faster. The Hatter closed his eyes, and their lips began to move together, the lights flickering like lightning, sparks transferring between their bodies. Though the glow was stunning , the sensation was better. Alice threw herself into the kiss, not quite sure where to go but knowing all the same. She gasped; he let out a deep sigh.

"Oh, Hatter," she whispered, pulling away and resting her head on his chest, "that was beautiful."

"Alice…" he began, his voice low and deep. "You know, you don't have to go back. I'll be with you when you defeat the Jabberwocky- we'll Flutterwacken like fools, and then we can smile and live in peace. We could go back to Witzend and dream up a house, and live as one- right here."

She hesitated but smiled. "Hatter… I have obligations. I have to go back. I need to set things straight."

The Hatter bit his lip and looked to the ground. "But you could live here forever. Time passes slowly in Underland—you can always go back and visit…"

"Hatter…" Alice started, but he stopped her with a finger to her lips.

"Shh. Just think about it. We've got time, lots of time…" and with that he brought her lips to his once more, letting the glow of the lights keep them company on this perfect night.


	2. Chapter 2 Get a Grip

Only the sounds of their breathing, their lips loving the other's, filled the air. The Hatter deepened the kiss and pulled her closer—her tiny, pale hand found his neck. She gripped at him, gasping- her lips begging for more. Her fingers pulled at his hair—light, yet firm. He moaned softly at the action and pulled at her waist, pressing her body against his. But for Alice, this wasn't enough.

She released her grip on his hair and placed one hand on each shoulder, bracing herself. He released her from the kiss and assisted her in jumping, her legs wrapping around his waist, her makeshift dress riding up her thigh. He held on to her hips and resumed the kiss, his movements faster, more intense. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in to him, accidentally knocking his hat off. The Hatter turned, kicking his hat out of the way, kneeling down to lay Alice on the soft moss. He pulled away from her and cupped her face, looking into her eyes—deep into her soul. She stared back up at him, trusting. He began in on another kiss, this one sweeter, more gentle, moving his hand down her neck, across her collar bone, along her arm and pausing at her hip. Their kisses altered between heavy and sweet, continuing on for quite a while, their hands exploring each other in ways neither had before.

Finally his hand rested on her lower abdomen. Her heart fluttered, the kiss continued. She squirmed underneath him, tightening her legs around his hips, pulling him closer to her. He reached up and removed the one strap from her shoulder, kissing the new skin as he moved the strap lower, lower. She shrugged her arm out of the dress and grabbed his face, bringing it back to hers. Her kiss was rushed, hurried, hard. He kissed back in anticipation, his left hand still trailing her body. She shuddered when it lingered on her breast. Gently he rested it there, massaging with his thumb in wide arcs. She gasped, unable to control her body any longer. This was nothing but natural. This time, she let his lips wander—down her neck, down her chest. She didn't protest when he slid the dress down to reveal her breasts, her stomach.

His soft, slow kisses turned desperate. He sat up and took both breasts in his hands, kneading and pulling, flicking his thumbs lightly over her taught nipples. She swallowed a moan, but not before he heard it. With this encouragement, he moved his mouth down to where his hands had left, licking, suckling, nibbling, while Alice writhed beneath him. Not sure what her body needed but knowing it demanded more, she whimpered in need. Once he returned to her mouth, she grabbed at his jacket, ripping it off and throwing it to side and then starting in on the buttons of his vest. Those went quickly enough, and the vest was soon gone. The long tailed shirt was more difficult, the buttons proving to be a more daunting task, but once those were undone, Alice tore the shirt from his shoulders, relieved that his hot skin could now touch hers. She pulled his body on top of hers, thrilled that they were so close—but not close enough. She kissed him harder, more aggressively, begging for something, anything. She yanked at his pants, finding the button and shoving it through the hole, pulling down his trousers awkwardly but successfully.

The Hatter looked down at her in surprise at her aggressiveness, first confused and then pleased. He looked down at her as he put his hands at her hips and slowly removed the rest of the dress, prepared to stop if he saw any sign of hesitation. She did not, however, and he continued on, pulling the cloth down her legs and away from her body, appreciating her body in the still glow of the forest. Afraid to breathe, she watched as he took in her soft curves, her firm skin. Her heart pounded in excitement, in anticipation. As he leaned down to kiss her again, she felt something warm and wet fall on her face—a tear, she realized. The thought of this made her eyes water. Blinking to shoo the tears away, they spilled out beyond their barriers, down the sides of her face and into her hair. His kisses, gentle and sweet, continued as she ran her hands up and down his torso, down to his hips to remove his last item of clothing. He lowered his body on top of hers, hovering just above her hot flesh.

"I've waited my whole life for you," he whispered into her neck, a strange, grave look on his face.

"Hatter… Please," she pleaded. He gave in to her demands, giving himself a moment for a deep breath, a moment for contemplation. And then he entered her, her body soft and inviting. His own body begged for more. Alice gasped at the sudden sensation, trying desperately to hold on to reality. He filled her, provided her with so much relief, yet so much more need. Eagerly she grabbed at his waist, pushing him all the way into her. She spread her hips wider to allow him full entry, and when he began to move inside her, she moved with him, making each one of his drives that much more deep. Deep, deeper, deeper—it was all she wanted, and he provided nothing less. Each entry was more skilled, more experienced than the last. She held onto him tighter with her legs, allowing herself to elevate her hips from the ground. As if it knew, the ground elevated with her, supporting her in her attempt to achieve pleasure. The Hatter began to caress her body, beginning with her breasts, moving to her abdomen, then to where their bodies met—her most sensitive spot. The sensation was immediately intensified, she gasped—the lights she was seeing were not from the forest in front of her. When her sight came back, she saw his face, twisted in attempt to keep going. He pressed into her and flicked his thumb over her arousal simultaneously. She gasped, unable to keep her grip on the forest around her. Everything was him—she filled her body, the air around her, her entire world. She was getting close to something—to what, she didn't know. All she knew was that there was more to be had.

The Hatter did his best to keep going, to keep pleasing Alice the way he was. He kept moving his thumb in small circles, careful not to press too hard. Worried that her thrashing and gasping was in pain, he removed his hand and began to pull out slowly, a smile fell from his face.

"Noo," Alice moaned, grabbing his hand and leading it back to her, where she had previously almost been at her peak.

The Hatter hesitated. "Alice, I don't want to hurt you…" he trailed off.

She shook her head vigorously, refusing to let him stop. "Please…" she whimpered.

He began to rub her again, this time faster, with more rhythm, but still stayed where he was, only about halfway inside of her.

Alice's breathing began to hasten, her hips trying their hardest to grind him into her with no avail. Just when she thought she couldn't take it anymore, she found her release.

"Oh!" she called out, her heart thumping loudly. And then The Hatter smiled a devious smile.

He plunged into her as she was still reacting from her first peak. Three, two, one more entry and she was bellowing out, a loud, deep, guttural scream. Her body shook with pleasure, her moans not quite ready to come to a halt. With her deep moaning sending him over the edge, he throbbed inside of her, throwing even more energy in between her legs than she ever thought possible. A few more deep thrusts and he was spilling out of her. Gasping and tired, he rolled her and pulled her on top of him, still inside her. The warm moisture pooling between them somehow comforted her, and she laid her steaming body on top of his, resting her head on his chest beneath his chin. He brought his hands to her, first playing with her hair and then coaxing her to look at him. Tears flowed down her flushed face.

"Don't cry, Alice, we don't have to think about it ever again…" he began, but was cut off by her shaking head.

"Hatter… it was beautiful. I'd like to stay like this, here with you," she admitted. He nodded in understanding and pressed gently on her head. In response, she laid her wet cheek against his chest once more. He kissed her forehead softly until she brought her lips to his for a sweet, much needed kiss. She sighed into him and pulled him out of her, laying her hips on the soft ground next him and curling up into his chest.

"No, we can't…" he began to protest.

"Shh," she responded, "don't speak. Let the forest speak for us." And he nodded, aware of the consequences of their actions, but not concerned at the moment. Her soft body against his was beautiful—a perfect, anticipated feeling that was, hopefully, the last thing he would ever feel.


	3. Chapter 3 Not in the Script

Alice woke up groggily, sore and exhausted from the night's events. Today was the Frabjous Day—the day the Underlanders say she is to slay the Jabberwocky. Not that she wanted to. She was completely content with staying here, in the arms of The Hatter. She sat up and stretched, letting her joints crack, adjusting to her stagnant body's sudden movement. She settled herself in next to The Hatter once more, sighing into his chest. She craned her neck and kissed his neck, his jaw, and finally, his lips. They were unmoving against hers. That was when she noticed his slow, shallow breathing.

"Hatter?" she questioned, waiting for his response. He only groaned. She sat up quickly, looking him over, realizing how awful he looked. His skin was pale, now paler than hers—his eyes were set in deep, purple, bruised skin, as if he hadn't slept in years. His lips were cracked and dry, his legs bruised and battered, his hair losing its sheen and radiance.

She gasped, and then screamed. "HATTER!" she cried, desperate to understand what was happening to his body. Tears ran down her face as she sobbed, "No… no…" over and over again. She wrapped her arms around her knees and the tears fell freely. She was only interrupted by a change in his breathing—faster, but more strained. She looked up and saw that his eyes were open. Quickly she crawled to him, placing her hands on his chest, his neck, his face, trying to find a reason, a sign…

"Alice," he rasped, reaching weakly for her hand.

"Hatter…" she whispered, taking his hand gently with hers, placing her other on top of his. She stroked his pale skin as the tears fell down, sniffling and pausing to remove her hand from his and wipe them from her cheeks.

He attempted to smile at her. "I thought I would have gone during the night, that you wouldn't have had to see me like this…" he began to explain.

She shook her head in disbelief. "Hatter, I don't understand… you were fine, we were fine…"

He rasped a chuckle which turned into a cough. When the fit stopped he turned to her. "My hat…" he requested. Hastily she looked around and found it a few yards from where they were now. She got up from her kneeling position and ran to it, eager to get it back to him.

Though he was still laying, mostly lifeless, on the ground, she placed the hat as well on his head as she could. He smiled. "Thank you."

He lost himself in thought for a moment, smiling all the while. Alice found herself needing to look someplace, anyplace, else. She turned her eyes to the ground while waiting for him to speak.

When he did, he said something she hadn't expected.

"We're only made for one time use, you know- if we're not married. We being the Underlanders. We're made to find the one who truly touches our heart, to spend our lives with them in matrimony, loving them, making love to them. But it is our history, our destiny, to die once we've been with the one we love outside of our vows…" he cut off with a deep, chest wracking cough.

He waited for his words to set in. Her eyes widened as she realized what his words meant—sad eyes. Her sad eyes shed more tears. She took a breath to calm herself, but this only made her cry harder. Sobs wracked her body as she kneeled before him, her face in her hands, her long locks grazing the earth. Her reaction upset The Hatter, making him worry for her heart.

"Alice, don't cry, it's okay…" he began

She looked up at him, confusion creasing her forehead, the tears still rolling down her cheeks. "Why? Why would you do that? Why couldn't you tell me, I should have known, we could have waited, I would have waited…" she rambled, stopping every few seconds to try to catch her breath. A new set of tears began. The Hatter reached towards her, placing his hand against her back, using all the strength he could muster to bring her to him. She gave in, rolling to her side and pressing herself into his side. She wrapped her thin arm around him, using a vice-tight grip to keep him with her, all the while sobbing into his neck. He stroked her hair, which ran down her back, in attempt to comfort her.

"Sometimes, I don't come first," he whispered. Her tears fell from her face to his chest, goosebumps rising from his skin. "Don't cry, Alice. It was worth it. You're worth it."

His words set something off inside her. She removed herself from his side. "No. No. This can't happen. This won't happen."

She stood up and did a quick scan, running around the small meadow to gather up their clothes. She threw on her makeshift dress, now dirtied and torn, sparkling from the forest's beauty from the previous night, and moved to him. "Can you stand?" she asked him. "You must stand. Come on, get up, get dressed. We've got to go."

The Hatter used all of his effort to stand. Alice helped him into his clothes, surprisingly unchanged from the forest around them, and ducked under his arm, standing at full height to support him as much as she could.

"Let's go," she demanded.

"Where are we going?" he asked, clearly unaware of the obvious.

"To The White Queen. She's going to fix you. And then I'm going to slay the Jabberwocky," and then she turned to him, "and then, we're going to get married."

The Hatter looked at her, clearly confused. "Alice, the White Queen can't do anything. There is no cure for it…"

"Shush, Hatter," she cut him off. "Every day is laid out clearly in the Oraculum. And today is not the day that I lose you."


	4. Chapter 4 Fix You

What should have been a short trip by foot turned into a long, straining journey. With The Hatter's need to stop and rest, it seemed to take hours to reach The White Queen's Castle. The ground, morphing into dry, cracked dirt from the beautiful spring moss from before, lead up to the castle gates where the White Palace Stood. Alice spotted it first, a feeling of relief filled her. And then she looked at The Hatter. She immediately began to panic, realizing at once that he was becoming more ill by the second. She ducked out from under him and crouched in front of him, prepared to carry him through the gates on her back. Without the strength to protest, The Hatter was forced to comply. He, as gently as he could, slouched across her arched back and let her take his weight. Carefully she stood to full height, adjusting The Hatter so she could walk, holding tightly on to the crooks of his knees. She trudged forward, determined to save him. There couldn't be much time left. The sun was already high in the sky—and she had yet to find the cure for The Hatter. She entered through the gates, which gave her a wide berth. Up the walk she hurried, realizing only now that her feet were blistered and bloody from her lack of shoes.

Once she reached the steps, she laid The Hatter down. With a quick peck on the cheek, she was off to find help.

"Hello? Hello!" she cried, not knowing which corridor to turn down. She took a chance and ran down the middle one, where she ran directly into a guard who had just turned the corner.

"The White Queen," she breathed, "Please. I need The White Queen." The guard, unaware of who she was, grabbed her by the wrists, prepared to take her to the dungeon. Alice began to struggle. "Please! You don't understand! I need The White Queen! He's dying! The Hatter is dying!" she screamed, desperate for someone to hear her cries. Down the hallway she was taken, her cries for help never ceasing.

She struggled all the way to the dungeon, her strength no match for the brute strength of this guard. Tears streamed down her face, sobs wracked her body. He pushed her into the small, dark room and shut the door, locking it with a large iron key.

"Help! Please! Hatter!" Alice screamed with no avail. She pounded at the door, trying to find any escape. And finally, she gave in to her sorrow, drooping to her knees. She crawled into the corner and laid on her side, sobbing freely now, preparing to lose the only thing she had—her heart.

* * *

After tending to the tree grove, The White Queen returned with her followers to the grand palace. She stood tall, though worry furrowed her brow. Today was the Frabjous Day. And Alice had not arrived. For the first time, Mirana began to doubt The Oraculum. It spelled out every day in Underland. What if those days did not coordinate with the days where Alice lived? What if The Red Queen's rule never ended…

Her thoughts were interrupted when she spotted something out of place on the grand steps. Cautiously she crept forward, not quite sure what it was. And then she recognized something—a hat. The Hatters hat, lying next to The Hatters unmoving body.

"No," she whispered. She took off at a run, her followers right on her tail. When she reached the steps and fell to her knees, leaning over The Hatter but not touching him.

"Hatter, what is this? What's happened?" she murmured. She leaned in to stroke his face when his eyes widened.

"No!" he choked. Mirana withdrew her hand in shock.

"Hatter, I don't understand," she began, reaching towards him again.

"NO!" he shouted as loud as he could. Mirana withdrew her hand once more, waiting for him to go on.

"Mirana… Alice," he was able to get out. He breathed hard from the effort.

And then she understood. Alice, The Hatter… The forest…

"Oh, Hatter. What have you done…" she sympathized. She looked up quickly. "Where is Alice?" she asked her followers. They shrugged their shoulders in innocence. The White Queen rose to her feet.

"You! Unk! Watch him. No one touch him. Don't let anyone near him. If anyone touches him, he dies." she said gravely, directing her commands at one of her male followers. "The rest of you, comb the grounds. Look for a thin girl with light hair. She will be wearing a makeshift dress. Go!" she shouted. The followers spread across the palace grounds, searching for an unknown girl.

"Hatter," Mirana began, kneeling to the Hatter's level, "where is she?"

"Inside," The Hatter gasped. She rose to her feet and lifted her dress, hurrying inside.

In the main corridor she came to a halt. "GUARDS!" she screeched. Immediately a battalion of guards was at her person, waiting for commands. "Where is Alice? Light hair, thin girl, makeshift dress! Where?"

One of the guards looked directly at The Queen. She turned to him. "Do you know?"

"I took a prisoner not too long ago. She fits your description. She's in the dungeon now."

The White Queen pursed her lips for a moment. With a swift turn, she was running to the right corridor, through it, down the stairwell to the dungeon.

* * *

Empty. Everything was so empty, it seemed. Her heart, her eyes, her stomach. Even her head felt empty. Tears stained her face. She laid in the fetal position, deep in non-thought. Alice stared blankly at the wall, waiting for death to come. It could come, eventually, would it not?

"Alice!" she heard a woman shout. Alice blinked. Someone began to bang on the door. How could anyone expect her to die with all that noise? "Alice!" the woman yelled again, this time through the small barred window at the door. Alice blinked once more. She heard jingling, clunking, clicking, and finally—the sound of a door creaking angrily. The White Queen rushed to where she laid, placing both hands on either side of her face. "Alice? Alice wake up. Pay attention. The Hatter needs you."

Something inside her snapped. Alice scrambled to her feet, and, taking a quick look around, she ran off, back to the main room and out the door. The White Queen tailed quickly behind her.

* * *

They arrived outside. Alice rushed to The Hatter, Unk making an attempt to stop her. "Let her by," The Queen commanded. Unk stepped aside and glanced at Alice. Doing a double take, he hurried off to find the others to inform them that the search need not go on.

"Hatter," Alice crooned, the tears beginning to fill her eyes again. "Don't leave me."

"Fix him. You can fix him, can't you?" she pleaded, turning to the Queen.

She pursed her lips and shook her head. "I can only delay the inevitable. Only you can touch him now, otherwise he'll die at the hand of another," she said.

"No," Alice began, "there's got to be something, he can't just die…" she trailed off. "It's not in the Oraculum! He can't die!" she cried, turning to The Hatter to stroke his face, under his eyes where the bruises were darkening, his jaw line, his cheek. Moments passed before any noise was made. Alice, deep within her sorrow. The Queen, deep within her thoughts.

"The Jabberwocky," murmured The White Queen, making some sort of realization. "Alice, The Jabberwocky. When you slay the Jabberwocky, your reward is his blood. It can grant any desire of the heart. It's your only chance."

Alice looked up from her love. "How? Why me?"

"Because it's in the Oraculum. Because you're the one who must win his blood. You must retrieve the Vorpal Sword, it's the only thing that can kill him."

"Where is it?" Alice asked.

"It's in The Red Queen's castle," she admitted.

Alice hesitated. "Well then," she said, glancing back at The Hatter, "let's get ready."


End file.
